Energy - Youth Centre

Eastleigh Lions Club are delighted to be directly involved with the setting up of this new facility for the youth of the borough. As well as a youth club there are other youth related support on site.

ENERGY YOUTH CENTRE

Several Lions had a very interesting tour of the new Energy Youth Centre which opened in February this year. The old Leigh Ballroom provided an excellent site for this centre and completely put to use every inch of the old building.

The old ballroom itself is basically the same but now houses a fully equipped stage, snooker and pool tables, games machines and several areas for just sitting. There are several rooms, leading off from the main ballroom which are used for counselling sessions i.e. Sexual health, relationships, youth offending, housing advice and many more. Each room is private and can be entered without using the main hall to maintain privacy.

There is a fully functioning kitchen, and the clients cook cakes and cookies and sell them at the drop-in sessions. There is also a recording studio and a TV and computer area with huge bean bags for seats.

The children chose all the decoration colours themselves. Not perhaps our choice of colour but never the less it is all bright and joyful. Upstairs there is a lovely big meeting room and another very private counselling room which can be accessed through the back door.

We were all very impressed on what we had seen and what they had achieved in such a small time. Of course they rely on donations to keep it running and I am very pleased that our President has Energy as his chosen charity for this year (2010/11)

We did notice the lack of blinds for the windows, especially the counselling rooms and were told that this was one of the things that they were looking to purchase as soon as they can. Perhaps the Lions could be of help?

Within 2 weeks the blinds had been erected and paid for by the club. One advantage of being associated with the Lions is speed of reaction.